Mechanical piano.



No. 675,|49., Patented' May 28, mol. A. cAPnA.

MECHANICAL PIANO.

(Application filed July 5, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

l l l 7@ i o @l l ,y iwi 7? 4' lim I f fi I* I y umllvy l Mmmm UNITED STATES PATENT f GEEICE.

ALESSANDRO cAP'RA, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL PIANO.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 675,149, dated May 28, 1901. Application nea Iuiy. 1to0. seria No. 22,508. (No man.)

To @ZZ whom, L'mcty concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALESSANDRO CAPRA, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and countyy of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanical Pianos,which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecication and accompanying drawings.

My inventionconsists of au improvement in `mechanical `pianos, whereby a succession of impulses is imparted to a hammer, that the sound may be continuous and closelyresemble the hu man voice or a stringed instrument.

It further consists in novel details of construction, all as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure l` represen ts a partial side elevation and partial sectional View of a portion of a mechanical piano embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of a portion ofthe mechanism detached. Fig. 3 represents a plan View of a portion of the mechanism detached. Fig. 4 represents a partial front elevation andv partial sectional view of mechanism shown in Fig. 1 ona reduced scale.

Fig.A 5 represents a partial front elevation and partial sectional view of a mechanical piano,

showing a slightly-different construction. Fig. 6 represents a plan view ot a detached portion thereof.

Similar letters cf reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a mechanical piano having the usual casing.

and being provided witha motor B, which is of any suitable construction, having the gear C connected therewith, which meshes with the pinion D, the latter meshing with the gear E, which is connected with the cylinder` or drum F of theorgan, said drumbeing provided with pins G of usual construction and having the elongated pins or bridges I-I at certain points where it is desired to have a long or prolonged note. The pinion D is mounted on a shaft J, which extends across the mechanical piano, and is provided on its opposite end with a gear K, Vwhich meshes with a pinion L, to which is suitably connected the gear M, which meshes with a pinion P, mounted on a shaft Q, which shaft carries the drum R, having spurs or ridges S extending the length thereof, said drum extending the length of the cylinder.

T designates a lever, which is suitably supported or pivoted at U and being provided at one end with a projection or stud V and having a spring lV suitably connected for holding the same in normal position. One end 01": the lever is split, as at A', and has the bar B' pivoted thereto, which latter is provided with the wedge-shaped face C' and actuated by a spring D.

E' designates a hammer which is suitably supported by the hammer-shank F', which has a slot G' therein, having an extension H2 at an angle thereto, and is supported on a wire or bar H', the lower end of said hammer-shank having the finger J pivoted thereto, which is provided with a roller K' and is actuated bythe spring L', it being noted that the wedge face C' `ot' thebar B' is'adapted to pass between the finger J and the hammershank F.

yM' designates strings of the piano, and N' designates the support for the wire or bar H', which extends the length of the piano.

Asthe Vparts sometimes need adjustment, owing to warping oron account of the Weather, dac., the bar T can be adjusted bythe screweye Q', which is also adjustable and provided with a felt packing R'to deaden the sound when the bar T returns to its normal position, the screw-eye S' beingadapted to adjust the split end of the bar T, and with it the bar B.

In Fig. 5 I have shown aconstruction wherein the motor Vis dispensed with, and in this case I employ a shatt T', provided with the worm U and the crank V', extending beyond the casingof the piano. On the shaft T' is the pulley W', over which passes the belt or cord A2, which also passes around the pulley B2 on the shaft C2, the opposite end of said shaft C2 being provided with a pulley D2, over which passes the cord or belt E2, which also passes around the pulley F2 and imparts m0- tion to thev drum R, provided with the spurs `impartin g motion to the pinion D and in turn to the gear E on the drum F, which is Arevolved. As the pin V on the lever T strikes the pinsG the end is raised and the Opposite end, carrying thebar is depressed, which forces `the wedge C' between the ingerJand the hammer-shank F and forces the same apart and the roller K' on-the nger Jinto the path of the spurs S. The gear Ml oper? ates the pinion P, and with it the drum R,

and the spursvS strike the roller K on the linger J', forcing away the same, and with it the lower end of the hammers-shank F', which j when released permits the hammer E to strike the string M", thus rivinlr forth the required b D sound. When`,-however, the pin V travels.

on the bridge or elongated pins H, the roller K' will be held in the path of the spurs-S for a certain length of time, and owing to the very rapidrevolution of the .drum R the said f spurs S will strike the said pulley fKinsuch f quick succession .that-au innumerable num ber `oilimpulses will be imparted .to .the hammer E', vwhichstrikes the string "M, so as to givea V,continuous sound, .it being .seen that vparts aresometimesatfected `by the weather,

the screw-eyes Qrand'S are properlyY operated .in order to place the -position 'By providing vthe hammer-'shank I1" with the l.bayonet-slot. G the said ham'merfsh'ank parts -in operative can be quickly removed from-the wire'HQ shouldo'ne of the parts `be broken, anda new y one quickly replacedin position, it of course@ being Aapparent that the said hammer-Shanks i are actuated lfor returning Vthe same `to their? Y -f cylinder, a-drum having spurs thereon, means. f

for operating said drum, leveradapted tol 'contact `with said pins, y,a hammer-shank,;a

normal position.

In the .construction shown vinfligs. l5.and 6 `the same operation .and parts are'femployed, excepting; that kthe motor is'dispensed'with -and `the power .trans'mitted'by turning thei .shaft,T, lwhich ope'ratesnthe cylinder Fand .the drum R; y y J@ Itwill of `course beevident'that various,

changes may be made in the device herein? shown anddescribed, and Ido not therefore exact constructionthereof. y Having thus vdescribed my invention, Whati I claim as new, and'desire to secure lbyLetters Patent, is L l. In a mechanical piano, acylinder, a han,v

desire to vbe'limited in `everyjinstance'to theg i contact with said pins, a bar carried yby said IIo mer, its shank, means for imparting motion to said cylinder, a lever acting in yconjunc-1v tion with said cylinder and devices interposed between said .means and the hammer-.shank thrown into operative position by said lever, f

lacted'upon vby said means to impart a sucfor imparting motion thereto, a lever acting in conjunctionwith said cylinder, a hammer 'f' and a drum suitably operatedlhaving spurs thereon which are adaptedr toimpart a succession of impulses to produce a continuous sound, a pivoted part on the hammer-shank interposed lbetween the said drdmland shank,

anda bar movable with said lever and interposed between the shankand pivoted part.

3. Ina mechanical `piano,a cylinder, means y 4:. In a mechanicalpianoracylinder, means for imparting metion'theretmpins .on lsaid cylinder, a lever adapted to contact with said pins, a hammer-shank having apivotallymounted part thereon, a drum having spurs thereon, and means forpt'hrowing :the pivoted part into the path of the spur-,drunnwhereby a successionfof impulsesisimparted ,to said shank .by said spurs. v 5. In a mechanica-l piano, .a Afor impartingl motion thereto, alever lsuit .ablyfsupported, pins von Vsaid cylinder with which one end of saidleveris adaptedto contact, .a ham mer-shank, arod carried abysaid lever, ,ai4 wedge Ion said vvbar adapted toymove said hammershank and Ya ldrum l,carrying Spurs zada-Pied .i0 impart a.succession'of'inn-A f l1:95 f6. Inamechanicalpiano,acyl-inder,,means cylinder, `means y for imparting-motiontheretQ,.Pins Onqsaid4v` finger pivoted fon 'fthe hammer-*shank and meansconnectedwith Vsaidlever for. .placing f f said finger on the lhammer-shank in'thepath v of the spurson-said drum..l

7. In a mechanical piano, acylinder, pins thereon, means for impartingmotion to said cylinder, a drum having spurs, meansforim-y parting motion thereto, a lever adapted to lever,.and ahammershank, ainger attached to said shank carrying a rollersaid finger Witnesses z l.

JOHN A. -WIEDERsHEIM, C. D. MOVAY.

ALESSANDRO l@APR-A.

i being adapted tobe placed in the path of 'v Ifoo Y 

